Thursday, December 09, 2004

Night 3

Here we are on the third night. I'm not feeling well tonight hence the 'Death Warmed Over' makeover for tonight (isn't cool how my red hair accentuates the palor and monotone of my face and how my dark circles give me that hard to get zombie look?). I did not cook tonight, we had Taco Bell.

Off to go sprawl on the couch and feign death. I'll write more when the fever breaks (fever + muppet holiday specials make for some fucked up dreams).

Tonight I went to meet some Rennies. This was my FIRST time to meet them, my FIRST Rennie informal gathering. Ohhhhhhh... It was real spur of the moment, Cam invited me yesterday and I figured it would be cool. It was.

I was late. I had planned to be a little late as I didn't want to be standing around like a dork waiting for people to arrive and not fucking knowing who they were. So anyway, late. I ended up taking 45 minutes to get ready instead of my usual 15 (DAMN YOU Infernal HAIR! At least you looked pretty good). Then I had to get some $$ so I could buy drinks. I stop by Brookshires and figure I'll grab a Coke, pay with my debit card and get an extra $20 with that. Now you may be asking WHY would I do that when there is a perfectly good ATM in the store? Fees! Fees! My bank charges me UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE amounts to use a strange ATM. (fuckers) So I figured if I was going to have to spend money to get money I'd like to get more than just a slip of paper. Cashier rings the $1.40 Coke, I scan my card and then she finishes the transaction without asking if I want CASH BACK! (they ALWAYS ask that!) *sigh* She appologizes then says we can re-do the transaction. We do, I get my Coke and $20 and she says that she needs to call the manager so they can credit the original $1.40 back to my card. After a moment, I realize I'm later than I intended and say "How 'bout I just get another Coke and we'll be done." So now I have two Cokes, but I'm off.

The directions to the bar were easy, but I had to get lost. I always get lost when I go somewhere new. It could be RIGHT NEXT DOOR to my own fucking house and I'd get lost the first time I went. I'm very good at U turns though. So I arrive 45 minutes late instead of 15 as intended. No biggie.

I met Cameleon - he was wearing this obnoxiously yellow shirt with a chaos symbol on it and what I first thought said Vegitarian. After about 20 or 30 minutes of trying to figure out why he'd have Vegitarian on his shirt, it dawned on me that the e was an a. The shirt read Vagitarian. (wait for it, you'll get it in a moment)

I also met Drew who I eventually learned is a plumber and works for the hardware store that is just down the street from me - REALLY JUST DOWN THE STREET! Freaky. A plumber, so yeah, I made a idiotic comment about how I bet he's good at laying pipe. I don't think he expected that, he just looked stunned for a second. Shannon caught it, she laughed quite loudly.

Shannon is this amazing singer. It was karaoke night at the pub. I had my back to her as she started singing Alicia Key's 'In And Out Of Love'. I got chills down my back, I had to turn around to actually SEE that the amazing voice was coming from her. Wow.

Kristen informed me that Shannon won a spot on the next American Idol. She mentioned that she (Kristen) is a hick and she grew up in Garland which prompted me to reveil that I went to Garland High School. She went to S Garland and graduated 9 years after me! I had the sudden urge to shover her chair over backwards, but fought it off as I'm sure she could have kicked my ass... and she's really nice.

Anyway I had fun. It was great. I guess I made a good enough impression (I made sure to keep it to one drink so I wouldn't start acting like a drunken monkey), I got invited to a party on the 18th, had to decline though, GAME NIGHT. I'm looking forward to getting with them again though.

Here is a picture right after we lit the first candle. (this is also the one photo where I look least like a big red cow).

We feasted on potato latkes (they were awsome) and donuts (damn good) last night (we had other stuff for dinner also). I think I've had my fill of latkes and donuts though... 7 more nights and I'm already done for. I feel the suffering already. *sigh*

(I have no idea why my kids have to look like they are in front of a fireing squad for holiday photos.)

Last night on a whim I tried my hand with watercolors. I was happily surprised with the results. I did the outline in watercolor marker - I think I should have done it a bit different but it's not bad for a first attempt.

Tonight starts the first night of Chanukah. The first of eight nights of latkes and soofganiyot (that's potato pancakes and donuts for you goy). I actually don't plan to have this EVERY night for 8 nights (my ass would be as wide as a barn if I did), tonight we will have it, but tomorrow probably just some other vegetable latkes probably by the 8th night I'll just pass around a bag of chips and box of Krispe Kream donuts. I get tired of frying stuff, I know it's the festival to celebrate the miracle of the oil, but the real miracle is that more Jews don't just keel over from heart attacks by the 6th night.

The Little People are totally ready for Chanukah. I'm mostly ready, still need to get candles for the menorah. I'll post pictures of our candle lighting tomorrow.

This year we really went overboard on the kids. K and I didn't do our shopping together as we should have. We did discuss what to get for holiday presents and we did end up getting them most of what we discussed - that what I had intended, I had intended to get them only some of what we discussed. Luckily it's mostly games. Tonight they will start with a card game, tomorrow I think they'll get the crayons and drawing stuff and we'll work up to the SUPER COOL (Barbies, dress up wings and Disney Princess Tea Set and Cart) stuff toward the end of the 8 days.

As for me I've already gotten my Chanukah presents. Everything was given to me early. My sister took me on a very generous shopping trip, K got me a very nice jacket and XXX gave me a beautiful Jewish Calender. I'm happy.